John 10:11—Is Jesus the shepherd or a sheep?

Problem: John presents Christ here as the “Good Shepherd.” Yet elsewhere He is a sheep (lamb) that dies for our sins (John 1:29, 36). Which is He?

Solution: Christ is appropriately presented by both figures of speech. He died as our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7), and He leads and guides His people as a Good Shepherd. In one context, believers are like the people of Israel who need the passover lamb to die for them. In the other, we are like wandering sheep who need a shepherd to lead us. Both are true.

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.